Sustainability, what is it? Is characterized by being a transversal concept that influences various areas of everyday life and it is precisely with Expo Milano 2015 that this theme seems to have taken flight, because the message that passes is to have to “be sustainable” wherever possible.
But what exactly does the word sustainability mean?
Starting from the environmental field, it means acting for the good of our planet and therefore activating all those practices that define our GREEN behavior. poi
A good starting point is to be able to manage waste in such a way as to be able to minimize CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, enhancing separate collection and trying to choose the packaging of the products that are as impactful as possible, therefore no plastic, no non-recyclable materials but yes to those that can be reused or that can end up in the short supply chain of waste; sustainability: what is it? poi
Not only that, being sustainable also means safeguarding the earth, understood as an essential productive means for the survival of the human species, given that since 1960 a third of arable land has been lost and its degradation is now at around 24%. In addition, the problem of overpopulation and the consequent increase in the need for food have further changed the way the soil is cultivated because more and more large-scale monocultures are being used and pesticides are being used at the expense of sustainable methods that promote the protection of species biodiversity, respect for the seasonality of crops and the use of natural fertilizers. poi
Similarly, mass urbanization and land abandonment contribute to the reduction of arable land, in turn affecting the production and distribution of food. The emergence of all these problems means that becoming sustainable is no longer a choice and an appeal to be able to claim to be “eco-friendly”, but a real necessity. poi
The food point of view
From the food point of view, industrial production creates pressure on small producers, reducing their profits and social conditions. poi
Prices are driven by financial speculation and this causes damage to both the producer and the final consumer; not only that, capitalist logic leads on many occasions to exploit these producers and impoverish them of their resources, that is why it is important to choose those products whose production process is a certification of the quality of those who have worked in this. In addition, food sustainability is also synonymous with agreeing to pay that more for a product whose ingredients used are a guarantee of quality as well as the entire production process from which it originates, which also safeguards the people employed in this. poi
Feeding sustainably therefore means choosing what does not harm the individual and all those people who have contributed so that we feed ourselves. poi
